Vast expenditures ... have clearly failed to curtail supply
or consumption. Victories in eliminating one source or
trafficking organization are negated almost instantly by the
emergence of other sources or traffickers.

The report points out that anti-drug policy causes thousands of
deaths, organized crime, and costs taxpayers untold millions of
dollars.

It is clear that the present system of applying the criminal
law to the personal use and possession of drugs has failed in its
aim. Conversely, the harms caused by pursuing this approach
to drug use have been significant.

The report went on to especially criticize the U.S. saying that
in the 40 years since President Nixon initiated the war on drugs
an army of organized crime has risen to meet the demand. Instead
of punishing users the report suggests governments experiment
with legal models and choose strategies based on human rights and
health care.

Political leaders and public figures should have the courage
to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately:
that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive
strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on
drugs has not, and cannot, be won.